The Auror Files
by Devonny Rose
Summary: Who said that life after Voldemort's defeat would be easy? Who said life would be easy at all? Warning for violence and strong language
1. Prologue

**Prologue**  
  
Voldemort was dead to begin with.  
  
There was no fanfare. No huge celebrations or parades. His death was the same as any other man's, though with fewer mourners no doubt.  
  
It wasn't perfect, it wasn't a fairytale. In fairytales, the hero always triumphs over the bad guys, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after.  
  
But this war ....... was dark. And the time after the Dark Lord fell was darker still.  
  
There were few heroes left. The war scarred victims of the Light Side were intermingled with the war scarred victims of the Dark.  
  
Albus Dumbledore was dead, too. The Ministry was gone. There was no one in control.  
  
And there was chaos, in the Muggle and Wizarding worlds alike (though there was nothing separating them anymore). The leaders of both side had perished and the rest continued the battle for dominance.  
  
And stuck in the middle of all was Harry Potter.  
  
He had fulfilled the Prophecy, his destiny. It had taken years and sacrifices and hardships. But he still could not have his peace.  
  
The old Death Eaters targeted him, figuring they could get one more threat out of the way.  
  
So he disappeared into the backdrop.


	2. Chapter 1

**(Author's note added 9/5/04) As several readers have pointed out to me, yes, I do know that this is Lethal Weapon. How could I not? The reason that I am writing this fic, is because I had an idea for a Harry Potter prequal and a sequal to the movie when I was watching it and, to write them, I would have to turn LW1 into Harry Potter. Thus, this fic. Hope that explains everything.**

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**A/N: This is a fic I wrote back in December when I got bored over break. I'll be updating a chapter a day, just so you guys have something to read while I tak emy exams. After they're done, however, I will update my other stories.**

**This fic is based off the original scrip for Leathal Weapon 1, but Harry-Potterized.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. End of story.**

**December 18, 2010, 10 years after Voldemort's defeat, London  
**  
Brown hair spread across the pillow as a beautiful woman shifted on her couch. She opened her bloodshot eyes and reached over to the coffee table, snatching up a bottle of pills. Downing a few, she stood and walked out onto her balcony, pausing only to glance at a photograph on the wall. A group of students in what was unmistakably Hogwarts, all smiling and waving at the camera. A much younger and less weary version of the woman was smiling and talking to the black-haired boy next to her.  
  
The woman inhaled the fresh, London air as she surveyed the city below her, like a queen and her kingdom. She started swaying slightly as she climbed onto the railing ....... and fell, spinning through the air like a rag doll.  
  
She smashed the windshield of the car below as she hit.

**Hallston, Ireland**  
  
"Bulls-eye!" shouted Roger Fort, leader of the Dragons. They were in power, ruling over the small sea-side town of Hallston. Roger was currently pointing a squirt gun at poor, defenseless collie tied to a street sign.  
  
"Lucky shot," said his friend, Gray Thompson. "I could do that." He turned, laughing, back to the dog ..... when a shadowy figure strolls towards them.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Roger asked. The man ignored him and sat down next to three other Dragons. He pushed his long black hair away from his face and lit up a cigarette.  
  
"Happy holidays," the man said, smiling at the group. "Mind if I join you?"  
  
"Yes," Roger said bluntly.  
  
"Fuck off," added Gray.  
  
The man just smiled innocently, petting the collie's fur with one hand. With the other, he reached into a paper bag and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "I need help drinking this. Cool?"  
  
The Dragons looked at each other, confused. But the man went on.  
  
"This your dog?" And then he did the strangest thing: he leaned in to talk to the dog in what had to be, for lack of a better term, Dog Speak. The Dragons shot him puzzled looks and Gray muttered to Roger that he had to be an escaped mental patient.  
  
The man frowned at the Dragons. "Huh, you know what? He says he doesn't want you to keep spraying him. He just hates that."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence, then ....  
  
"Oh, he does," Roger said slowly. "Well, mister, why don't you ask him what he would like ..... ?" The others snickered, while the mysterious man simply nodded.  
  
"Okay." He conferred with the dog again. "What? You want .... oh. Oh. Hell no, I couldn't do that ..... Nossirree bob, you little mutt." He turned back to the Dragons, chuckling. "Get this. He wants me to beat the shit out of you guys."  
  
A pin drop could've been heard. The Dragons' faces clouded up as they looked to their leader for instructions. Roger scrutinized the man carefully.  
  
Of course, said man was still completely oblivious to the actions of those around him and went back to talking with the dog.  
  
"What's that? The one in the middle ....... 'is a stupid fat duck'? What?" Pause. "Oh ... Oh! A 'stupid fat fuck'! Right, that makes more sense." He shook his head. "Boy, this dog is pissed."  
  
Roger grabbed the man by his collar and hoisted him to his feet. "Buddy, you're shortening you life-span."  
  
The man reared back and head-butted him, causing Roger to fall to the ground unconscious. He stepped back and surveyed the rest of his competition. The dog barked as Gray pulled out a switchblade.  
  
"What's that? You want me to take the knife away ..... and break his elbow?" The dog barked again. "But that would be excruciatingly painful." Again, you guessed it, the dog barked. "If you say so ...... "  
  
His foot flew out before any of them knew it and hit right on target: Gray's elbow bent with a sickening crunch. The remaining Dragons' smiles faltered.  
  
"And if I separated the fat one's shoulder," the man went on. "He'd probably scream."  
  
Within minutes, mincemeat had been made out of the five dog torturers.  
  
The man smiled as he looked around at the Dragons' prone forms. He reached into his pocket and produced a small folded piece of paper, which he placed beside Roger. Then he lite up another cigarette and untied the dog.  
  
"Okay, go on, get outta here." He began to walk away, but the dog remained close at his heels. "No, no, don't follow me. I'm an asshole. Go away." The dog just gave him (what else) puppy-dog eyes and the man caved. "Aw, shit. Alright, move it. Let's go." The dog yipped happily and trotted along behind her new master. "So, you live in the area? I was thinking of moving out here myself. How's the rent?"  
  
A few hours later, Roger, Gray, and the rest of the Dragons were found, still unconscious. The only clue as to who left them like that was the note.  
  
_Dragons,  
  
You really need to increase security. There goes your oh-so-brave and undefeated leader.  
  
Raven_** A**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to each and everyone of my reviewers. Since I'm not supposed to thanks you guys individually at the beginning of each chapter (rolls eyes), I'll make sure to thank you on my Yahoo! Group when I get home from school.**

**Now on with the chapter!**

Earlier that day, Paris  
  
The group sat in the middle of a Christmas tree lot, using the plants as sheilds. Three of the members were looking around nervously (the symbol of the Dragons displayed proudly on their shoulders), while the fourth member, Raven, sat at a table.  
  
He had a pile of white powder before him. It was a highly illegal and highly addictive substance called Sacarna, made partially out of the muggle drug heroin and billywig stingers. He stuck his finger in it and tasted some.  
  
"Good stuff," he commented.  
  
"You better believe it," answered one of the dealers.  
  
"How much?"  
  
"How much for how much?" asked another.  
  
"For all of it."  
  
"You want it all?" exclaimed the third.  
  
"Yeah." He glanced at the trees. "And maybe a nice six-footer to put it under."  
  
"The tree you can have for nothin'," said the first. "But the stuff's gonna run you a hundred."  
  
Raven whistled. "That much, huh?" He pulled out his wallet. "What d'ya want it in, Muggle or Wizard?"  
  
"Muggle."  
  
"Okay, let's see what I got." He pulled out a stack of bills. "Here you go. Wait, I only got nintey-nine pounds ...... " He reached into his other pocket, but the first drug dealer cut him off.  
  
"Forget it."  
  
"C'mon. I'm almost there. Gimme a minute or two - "  
  
"One hundred thousand, you stupid fuck! One hundred thousand!"  
  
"Oh." He looked down at the money in his hands. "Well, I can't afford that. Look, let's do this instead." He reopened his wallet and tossed it onto the table top. "I take your complete stash, okay? I take it all. For free. And you assholes go to jail."  
  
There, on the table, was a badge. Yes, my friends, our dear ass-kicking hero, was an Auror.  
  
"I could read you your rights, but, nah. You guys know what your rights are."  
  
"That badge ain't real," the first one said disbelievengly, but the other two started to back away slowly. "You sure as hell are one crazy fuck!"  
  
"You're calling me crazy?!?" Raven stood up. "You think I'm crazy! You wanna see crazy? I'll show you crazy! This is crazy!"  
  
He pulled the man over to him and pummeled him Three Stooges style. Complete with with nose tweak. But at the end of his routine, he whipped around and pressed a gun into the second dealer's neck.  
  
"That's a real badge. I'm a real Auror. And this is a real gun. Any questions?" He was about to start ordering the other two to lay down on the ground and to surrender any weapons they might have, when he heard a soft click behind him. He ducked as a fourth dealer shot at him. Instead, the bullet hit dealer number two.  
  
Raven fired his gun at the shooter, hitting him right between the eyes. Though the third drug dealer grabed the gun, he was soon shot, too.  
  
Unfortunately, the one remaining dealer was behind Raven and pressed a gun to his head, disarming him.  
  
Back-up finally arrived, but they stopped short when they see Raven with a gun pressed to his head.  
  
"Shoot him," he hissed.  
  
The drug dealer pressed the gun harder into his hostages head. "Shut up!"  
  
"Fuck you," came the reply. Along with another, "Shoot him!"  
  
The other Aurors didn't know what to do, so the hostage took matters into his own hands.  
  
"Do it, asshole. Pull the trigger."  
  
"Guns down!" the dealer shouted.  
  
Raven went back and forth between his fellow fighters and the dealer, trying to reason with both of them. "Shoot him! Pull the trigger! Kill him! Shoot me! Kill him!"  
  
It successfully freaked the dealer out and his concentration slipped ......  
  
....... so Raven spun around and kicked the dealer in the groin, dislocated his shoulder, and retreived his own gun.  
  
"That was fun," he mumbled.

* * *

Later that day, Auror Headquarters, France  
  
Kingsley Shacklebolt sighed as he saw Lisa Turpin in his office. 'That woman could make Gandhi take a poke at her,' he thought bitterly.  
  
"I want Raven pulled from duty," was the first thing she said as he entered the room.  
  
"Um ...... no."  
  
"No. No?!? Captain, he walked into the line of fire."  
  
"Very brave individual, don't you think?"  
  
"This is utter bullshit."  
  
"Oh, is it? Forgive me."  
  
"He's got a death wish." At Kinglsley incredulous look, she continued. "You can quote me. It happens to be my professional opinion."  
  
"Er ..... good opinion. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Captain - "  
  
"Look, you're way off. He's going through a rough time right now, but ..... he'll get through it. He always does."  
  
"With all due respect, I think that's a dangerous attitude to take. May I remind you that his wife of four years was recently killed by Death Eaters."  
  
"I know all about Raven. He's a tough bastard."  
  
"He's on the edge. He may even be psychotic."  
  
"And I think you're wrong. I'm not going to pull my best agent on a hunch."  
  
"You're making a mistake by leaving him in the field. He's suicidal."  
  
"We're gonna wait. And then, if he offs himself, well, then we'll know I was wrong."  
  
"At least give him some easier assignments for the time being. Less likely to have a chance of him ..... "  
  
"Fine, I'll see what I can do." 


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: As usual (well, not really because I've only done it once before), I'll reply to my reviewers on my Yahoo! Group: DRFicsyahoogroups.com**

Godric's Hollow, Wales, the next day.  
  
Severus Snape pulled the blankets of his bed up tighter around him as he heard footsteps on the stairs. 'Please don't let them come up here, please no.'  
  
"Happy Birthday!"  
  
Severus inwardly groaned. 'So much for birthday wishes coming true.' He opened his eyes and half-heartedly glared at his wife, Trishia.  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't make them wait," she apologized, but it was clear she didn't mean it.  
  
"Make a wish, Daddy!" Carrie, his seven-year old daughter screeched.  
  
Behind her, his oldest daughter (17), Brianna, had the same look in her eyes. "Go for it, dad."  
  
And behind her, his only son, Carl, age 13, watched his father get tortured by his siblings with the trademark Snape smirk on his face.  
  
"Go for it, huh?" Severus smiled. "Okay, I'll go for it." He blew out the candles and his family cheered. His gaze lingered on the message sprawled across the top of the cake as they thrust presents at him.  
  
_WELCOME TO THE BIG 50!_  
  
Le Mort, France  
  
An old run-down appartment building sat in the middle of town, surronded by other run-down appartment buildings, in a town of all run-down appartment buildings, in a world of ........ You get the point.  
  
But this one was different. It was the home of our hero.  
  
At least, for today.  
  
And he was laying on a dingy bed in the corner of the room.  
  
Beside the bed, the alarm clock suddenly blared to life. The sound of 'Silver Bells' filled the room and he snapped awake, instantly alert.  
  
He sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes, and glanced over at the doorway where his new collie (he quaintly dubbed Sam) sat waiting.  
  
"Sam, today is the first day of the rest of my life," Raven said, before grabbing his cigarette pack and lighting one up.  
  
Back to Godric's Hollow  
  
It was a typical morning for the Snapes. Carl sat, staring at the TV, and totally ignoring Carrie's incessant wailing. Trishia was burning eggs in the kitchen, while Severus scurried around everywhere getting ready for work.  
  
"Honey, what's this on my tie?" he asked.  
  
She looked carefully before declaring, "An ugly spot."  
  
"Thanks," he said sarcastically. "Sharp as a pin you are."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"Hey, kid, turn off the waterworks, okay?" Severus said, peering into the living room as the phone rang.  
  
Carrie pointed angrily at Carl. "Daddy, he changed the channel!"  
  
"She's a crybaby, Dad," Nick argued back.  
  
"How about I give you something to cry about." Severus picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet and handed it to Carrie. "See? Starving children. They haven't eaten. It's very sad. Cry."  
  
He headed back to the kitchen, Carrie calling out, "Daddy, you're weird."  
  
"Thank you, Carrie. Hear that, honey, the children think I'm weird."  
  
"They're bright children," Trishia retorted as she hung up the phone. "Honey, you know a woman named Amelia Bones? I know the name's familiar ....... "  
  
"Amelia Bones ...... ?" Severus pondered, before his eyes widened. "Merlin, Amelia Bones! What's she want?"  
  
"The office called. She's been trying to reach you for three days now."  
  
"I haven't talked to her in ..... ten years? No, wait a minute, that would make me fifty years old. That can't be right."  
  
"You're not getting older, you're getting better."  
  
"Inform the children of this," Severus replied as he kissed her on top of the head. "Forget the eggs, I'll eat later."  
  
"Whatever." There was a small silence then, "Honey, where have I heard the name Amelia Bones before?"  
  
"She was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcment at the Ministry. Before it collapsed."  
  
Trishia's eyes widened. "Oh, that Amelia Bones."  
  
Back to Le Mort  
  
Raven entered his living room in only a pair of pants. His muscled back was covered in scars. He flipped on the TV and sat on the couch. After opening and throwing a bag of peanuts to Sam, he grabbed a bottle of asprin from his coffe table, downed three without water, and finished a half-eaten sandwich that was lying next to it. Yum.  
  
He went over to his kitchen counter, picked up a gun, and put it in his belt. He strapped three knives on next and fastened a wand into a holster on his forearm. He pulled on a faded crimson jacket and poured himself a shot of wiskey. He downed it, staring at the wall. A picture more precisley. Of Raven, only much younger, and pretty woman in a wedding gown.  
  
He spun around and threw the shot glass at the TV, shattering the screen.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I just realized I forgot to spell check Chapters 2 and 3. Ooops. looks embarrased I promise I'll spell-check them when I have the time and re-post them.**

London  
  
Lavender Brown sat in the back of an old police car, muttering to herself. The Auror assigned to watch her eyed her with distrust as he climb out the driver's side.  
  
"Can I stay in the car?" she asked angrily.  
  
"No," he stated shortly.  
  
"Aw, cut me a break. I told you already: she came out on the balcony - "  
  
The Auror cut her off. "That balcony?" he asked, pointing across the street.  
  
"No, Buckingham bloody Palace," she said sarcastically. "Of course that fucking balcony. And then she jumped. Can I go now?"  
  
"Not 'til you talk to the Sarge."  
  
"Terrific. Where the hell is he?"  
  
Snape's car drove up right then and the Auror stood up from the curb to greet him. "Happy 50th, Sev."  
  
"Fuck you," he snapped.  
  
Severus went up to Lavender and smirked. "Nice outfit, Miss Brown," he said, commenting on her skimpy clothes.  
  
"Hey, Snape. Tell this bozo to lay off."  
  
"You. Bozo. Lay off."  
  
The Auror shook his head, amused. "Had a jumper last night, Sarge. Brown here was walking by, saw the whole thing."  
  
"You got a statement?" At the man's nod, he continued. "Send her home."  
  
"Thanks, Sev," she smiled seductively. "I'm beat. You know how it is."  
  
"Sure. All dressed up and no one to blow."  
  
"You're hilarious." She flipped him off as she took off down the street.  
  
"Nice wholesome girl," the Auror commented. "Anyway, the jumper landed over here ..... "  
  
They stopped next to a beat-up Porsche. Severus grimaced.  
  
"Name was Susan Bones," the Auror continued. "Age thirty. Prostitute. One arrest, but no convictions."  
  
"What was the name?"  
  
"Bones. Susan Bones. You know her?"  
  
"Yeah. I used to teach her."  
  
"Merlin." The Auror paused, not sure what to say next. "The vehicle is registered to her. She landed right on top of her own car."  
  
Severus snapped out of his stupor. "Find out who bought it for her. Her sugar daddy."  
  
"Might take some looking into."  
  
"So look."

* * *

Auror Headquarters, France  
  
Kingsley watched carefully as Raven entered the office that day. He had known the kid for years and yet ..... even he couldn't figure out how he was taking his wife's death. He sighed. 'Better safe than sorry.'  
  
"Good work yesterday," he said when Raven sat down. He just shrugged, so Kingsley continued. "I've got another assignment for you ...... "

* * *

In the apartment  
  
Severus stared at the photo on the wall, automatically recognizing the DA. Susan was sitting in front, happily chatting away with Harry Potter. He picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"Hello, honey? Give me that number for Amelia Bones. What? Yes, the woman who called me this morning. Her niece just took a dive out a window."

* * *

Le Mort  
  
It was raining when Raven went home for lunch. He didn't seem to care though. He just walked down the street to the apartment building, ignoring the rain beating down, a large cardboard box underneath his arm.  
  
He tossed Sam another bag of peanuts when he entered the living room.  
  
"Sam, every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better," he muttered as he set up his new TV. Just in time to watch the Grinch steal Christmas from the residents of Whoville.  
  
He pulled open the drawer of the small desk in the corner and took a small bottle out of it, back over to the couch with him. He stared at it, mesmerized, as he twirled it through his fingers. 


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay! Today's my last full-day of school! dances and then looks slightly deflated And then exams starts. Oh well.**

Noon, Auror Headquarters, Ireland  
  
Severus Snape sat behind his desk, lost in thought, when his co-worker Burke came in.  
  
"Got some news on the Bones case, Sev."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "That was quick."  
  
"So was the autopsy." He took a deep breath. "You ready for this? They're not calling it suicide."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Surprise, surprise. First off, coroner found evidence she took sleeping pills."  
  
"Brilliant," he said sarcastically. "There was an open bottle on her table."  
  
"Right, that's not the surprise. Surprise is, someone doctored the pills. Every capsule was loaded with Magical Mess Remover."  
  
"Merlin ...... "  
  
"If she hadn't jumped she would of been dead in fifteen minutes."  
  
"This case sucks."

* * *

On the other side of the room ......  
  
Raven took out a cigarette, scanning the room.  
  
Severus noticed the guy, in his dingy clothing, and watched him carefully. "Burke, if my wife calls, tell her late dinner," he said, never taking his eyes off the man.  
  
"Wait, Sev, I'm not through yet. I'm supposed to tell you two more things."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"First, condition of the sheets and mattress indicate someone was in bed with Susan Bones just before she died. That's A."  
  
"What's B?"  
  
"B is, I'm supposed to tell you you're breaking in a new partner on this."  
  
"I don't work with partners."  
  
"You do now. Captain of the French Auror division asked that he specifically work with you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Not a clue."  
  
"Oh, perfect. Can I trade in my life for a new one?"  
  
And back across the room, Raven decided that he wanted to adjust the strap on his gun and .......  
  
"Gun!" Severus shouted.  
  
All hell broke loose. Aurors were diving for cover, secretaries shrieked, and Severus plowed his way through the room.  
  
Raven looked around, trying to find the guy with the gun, and not realizing it was himself.  
  
Severus jumped at Raven, preparing to tackle him, but Raven simply ducked, and flipped Severus over one shoulder.  
  
"What the hell happened!?!" shouted Captain Mark Livingstone, coming in to find out what the fuss was all about.  
  
Burke sighed and shook his head. "Severus just met his new partner."  
  
Severus groaned when he heard this. "You're my new - " He stopped abruptly when he met the very familiar eyes of the person looking down at him. "No. No. No, no, no, no, no. You can't ..... You aren't ..... "  
  
Harry Potter smirked and held out a hand to Severus. "Nice to see you too, Professor."  
  
"What have I done to deserve this?"  
  
"Hey, you're making me feel a little unwanted over here."  
  
"You're not wanted," he replied pointedly as he got to his feet, ignoring the hand Harry's held out for him.  
  
"It's the principle of the thing."  
  
Livingstone chose that moment to interrupt. "So you're the agent Shacklebolt sent, huh?"  
  
"Kingsley?!?" Severus practically shouted. "I'm gonna get him for this one."  
  
"Do you two know each other?" Burke asked cautiously. He had never seen Severus in this kind of mood before.  
  
"Unfortunately," Severus said before Harry could get a word in edgewise.  
  
"Oh, come on, Severus," said Harry. "It's been ten years since we last saw each other. You can't still hate me."  
  
"I can and I do. You made my life a living hell for seven years."  
  
"How?"  
  
"By being around."  
  
"I was just returning the favor. And it was you who started it."  
  
"That's not my point."  
  
"It was my point."  
  
"See what I had to deal with!" Severus exclaimed, not very amused to see that all of his fellow Aurors found this funny.  
  
"You're overreacting."  
  
"November 3, 1996."  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"You blew up a healing potion and turned my hair purple for a week."  
  
"It was an accident. It's not like I did it purposely."  
  
"Sure you didn't, Potter." He ignored the gasps that came with the name.  
  
"I didn't." The smirk grew. "If I had done it purposely it would've lasted at least a month."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Potter?" Livingstone questioned. "As in ...... Harry Potter?"  
  
"On my good days."  
  
"Why did Shacklebolt send you of all people?" Severus asked wearily.  
  
"I don't know. To piss you off?" he suggested.  
  
"Well, it's working."  
  
"Good. Then my work here is done."  
  
"Will you be leaving then?"  
  
"Sorry, Sev," Livingstone broke in. "He stays."  
  
"Come on, it won't be that bad, Sevlet."  
  
"What have I told you about calling me that disgusting nickname?"  
  
"Er ....... that if I did it again, you would hex me from here to Canada?"  
  
"5 points to Gryffindor." He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Harry's head .......  
  
....... only to find a wand pointed at his own head as well.  
  
Severus said "Well, I believe that's the first time you could draw even with me. Never thought this day would come." At the same time Harry said, "Well, I believe that's the first time you've awarded points to Gryffindor. Never thought this day would come."  
  
"See," Burke said brightly. "You two will get on just fine!" Of course, that was broken when he leaned into the man next to him and said, "Five Galleons says he kills Potter by the end of the week."  
  
"Burke!"  
  
"I'd take that," Harry advised. Severus glared at him. "What? It's a sure thing."

* * *

Somewhere in England  
  
"There are three guns and a wand on you," permeated through the darkness.  
  
Seamus Finnegan gulped. "Easy. Take it easy. I'm just going to light a match." He did and held it near his face, finally illuminating at least some of the room.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Finnegan," said the voice and the lights came on. Seamus shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness, but when his vision cleared, he saw three men seated in chairs.  
  
"If you'll follow me please - " one began, but Seamus cut him off.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"That's hardly important. If you like, you may call me Mr. Theodore."  
  
"What a second." Seamus took a closer look. "You're Theodore Nott!"  
  
Theodore smirked and ignored him. "I trust you're having a pleasant holiday season?"  
  
"Yeah. It's a fucking joy."  
  
They entered a small, dimly lit room, and stood before the blond-haired man at the desk.  
  
"Yes, Theodore? Ah, Mr. Finnegan. Please have a seat."  
  
"Where'd you get him, Malfoy? Psychos 'R' Us?" Seamus asked as he sat.  
  
"Hardly," Draco sneered.  
  
Seamus pointed to another very familiar 'bodyguard'. "I like the sunglasses. Very Hollywood."  
  
"Mr. Crabbe is unfortunately missing an eye. For anonymity's sake, he chooses to forego wearing a patch."  
  
"Swell. Blind people with guns. This is a class act. Maybe we can run over to St. Mungo's and pick up a couple of amputees. Bargain rates after six."  
  
"I don't find you funny."  
  
"I don't find this bloody setup funny. You're using mercenaries, for Merlin's sake. Tell me I'm wrong."  
  
"No. You're not wrong."  
  
"And I'm supposed to trust these bozos?"  
  
"My people are loyal, Finnigan. They are loyal to me."  
  
"Hippogriff Dung."  
  
"Theodore. Hole out your hand," Draco ordered and Theodore complied. "Do you smoke, Finnigan?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Give me your lighter."  
  
Seamus cautiously pulled out his silver lighter again and handed it to Draco, who held the flame right under Theodore's hand, searing it. Theodore didn't make a sound.  
  
"You wish to do business with us, yes?"  
  
"Merlin ..... " Seamus breathed, face pale as he watched the flame.  
  
"Mr. Nott is in a great deal of pain," Draco said maliciously. "You wish to purchase, yes?"  
  
"I ... yes. Sure. Just stop."  
  
Draco handed the lighter back to its owner. "Filthy habit smoking," he said, almost sincerely, until he continued. "The bulk of the Sacarna will arrive Friday night. We will make delivery that time. Please have the money ready and no tricks. If you try to cross us, I'll have Theodore cut out your eyes. Merry Christmas." 


	7. Chapter 6

Somewhere in London  
  
Harry steered the car through traffic, while Severus sat scowling next to him. Finally, the ex-Professor broke the silence.  
  
"Turn right," he said. "So. You're the Raven, huh? I hear you're ... very good ... at what you do."  
  
"I try."  
  
"Heard about your little stunt yesterday. Pretty Gryffindorish." Harry didn't respond. "Last time I heard anything out of you, you were working for the Phoenix Project. Assassin stuff, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And they gave you an Order of Merlin."  
  
"It was a slow year."  
  
Pause. "It's over, you know."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"The war."  
  
"Yes. I know."  
  
"Just thought I'd remind you." He motioned to the gun in Harry's belt. "Check out your piece?" he asked, before reaching over. Harry's hand shot out, stopping him cold.  
  
"Bad manners, man." Harry removed the gun and handed it to Severus, who was watching him with barely disguised interest. "Don't hurt yourself."  
  
".9 millimeter Beretta," he whistled. "That's some serious shit."  
  
"You carry a wheel gun?"  
  
".38 Special."  
  
"Lot of old-timers carry that," Harry said casually and Severus shot him a look.  
  
"From what I know of the Raven, you're registered as a lethal weapon," Severus said suddenly.  
  
"True. Look." Harry turned towards Severus. "Let's cut the shit. We both know why I was transferred. Everyone thinks I'm suicidal, in which case I'm fucked and no one wants to work with me. Or they think I'm dangerous and playing both side of the game, in which case I'm fucked and no one wants to work with me. Then there are those who think that I'm spying for Death Eaters, in which case I'm fucked and no one wants to work with me. Basically, I'm fucked."  
  
"Guess what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want to work with you."  
  
"Then don't."  
  
"Don't have a choice. Damn. We're both fucked."  
  
"Terrific."  
  
Harry parked in front of an old, run-down building and lit a cigarette.  
  
"I'm very old," said Severus, rubbing his eyes. "God hates me, that's what it is."  
  
"Hate him back. Works for me."

* * *

Amelia Bones' office, London city Bank  
  
"Murder? But I thought ....... " Amelia trailed off, looking depressed.  
  
"Poisoned. Even if she hadn't jumped, she'd still be dead," Severus told her quietly.  
  
"Merlin. I can't take ....... "  
  
"Amelia, why did you call me?" Harry looked at him incredulously. This was the first time he had heard about that.  
  
"Called you? Yeah. That's right. I heard you were working out here. I wanted you to find her for me, Severus. Take her out of it."  
  
"Out of what?"  
  
"She did movies ....... " Amelia started sobbing and Harry put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Easy," he said soothingly.  
  
Amelia dried her eyes and looked back at Severus. Cold fury was practically pouring from her face. "I want a promise. You owe me. You know you do."  
  
"Yes, I know that," said Severus.  
  
"When you find who did it, I want you to kill them. If it's more than more than one, I want you to kill all of them. Make them squirm first, take your time ....... and fucking kill them.  
  
"I'm Auror, Amelia," said Severus, looking at Harry for help. But Harry just looked away.  
  
"Forget the law. It's easy to do. You owe me."  
  
"We have to go now."  
  
"I know you can, Severus. You kill them. And if not, Harry, I'm sure you can."  
  
They left.

* * *

Back outside  
  
Severus sighed as Harry took out another cigarette. "Are you going to smoke in the car?"  
  
"Thinking about it," Harry responded.  
  
"Terrific."  
  
Harry started to put the cigarette in his mouth, but stopped abruptly. "Whoops. Bugger." He replaced that one in the pack and pulled out another.  
  
"What's wrong with that one?"  
  
He pointed to the tip of the very old cigarette: there was a tiny red circle around the filter. "This one is the last cigarette I'll ever smoke. Trick I learned from Mundungus Fletcher. I smoke all I want, but when I smoke this one, I'm through."  
  
"Brilliant. Get in the car."  
  
"Want me to drive?"  
  
"You're suicidal, remember?"  
  
"Anyone who drives in London nowadays is suicidal."  
  
Severus sighed again and slid into the diver's seat.  
  
"She said you owed her," Harry finally asked. "What did she mean?"  
  
"In the final battle, she saved my life. Took a severing charm to the stomach."  
  
"That was nice of her."  
  
"I thought so."  
  
The radio suddenly blared to life and Severus turned it up. "All units and seven eight twenty-one, possible jumper at the corner of Kinston and Mullberry, seven eight twenty-one handle code two."  
  
"Four King Sixty en route," Harry said into the hand mike. He turned back to Severus. "This is great. I love this job."  
  
"Stuff it." 


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates, my computers been screwier that usual.**

_Previous Chapter_: _The radio suddenly blared to life and Severus turned it up. "All units and seven eight twenty-one, possible jumper at the corner of Kinston and Mullberry, seven eight twenty-one handle code two."  
_  
_"Four King Sixty en route," Harry said into the hand mike. He turned back to Severus. "This is great. I love this job."  
  
"Stuff it."_

* * *

Corner of Kinston and Mullberry  
  
Up on a ten story buliding, a lone man stood. All of the people on the ground below watched him and a few kids were shouting, "Jump! Jump!"  
  
Severus and Harry pulled up to this scene.  
  
An Auror came up to them as soon as they arrived. "Hey, Sarge, you wanna handle this?"  
  
"Where's the psychologist?" asked Severus.  
  
"Sitting in traffic."  
  
"Why don't they just Apparate here?"  
  
"Muggle."  
  
"Swell. Who's the guy."  
  
"MacCleary. Left the office party. Went upstairs and walked out on the ledge."  
  
"Think he'll go?"  
  
"Seems serious enough. Who knows?"  
  
Harry cleared his throat. "I can handle this."  
  
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Are you qualified to talk to jumpers?"  
  
"I took a year of Psych training back at the Academy."  
  
He sighed. "Okay, you're elected. No guns. No wands. No kung fu. Just bring him in."  
  
"Sure. Just bring him in. I can do that."  
  
Then why was he humming the theme song from 'Mission Impossible' as he headed towards the building?

* * *

Up on the roof-top  
  
Harry nodded to the jumper in greeting as he came onto the roof.  
  
"Go away," MacCleary grumbled.  
  
"My name's Harry."  
  
"Fuck off."  
  
"I can't do that. What's your name?"  
  
"Look, I know all the psychology bullshit. It won't work."  
  
"I'm not a psychologist."  
  
"Yeah? What are you?"  
  
"An Auror. I work in Homicide mostly."  
  
"You're early. Hang on a couple of miniutes, then you can go to work."  
  
"At least tell me your name. Look, I gotta fill out the little piece of paper for your death certificate. Okay?"  
  
"John. John MacCleary."  
  
"Thanks. 'Preciate it. That's M - C .... ?  
  
"M - A - C. Now get outta here."  
  
"MacCleary. MacCleary. Where have I heard that name?"  
  
"Nowhere. I'm not important enough for anyone to remember."  
  
"Sure you are. Wait a second. MacCleary. Gryffindor, class of 2001, right?"  
  
"That's - that's right."  
  
"Dennis Creevy's year."  
  
MacCleary chuckled. "That's right. How'd you know?"  
  
"I was a Gryffindor, too. A couple years ahead." He looked MacCleary in the eye. "So from one former Gryffindor to another, why are you doing this?"  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Fair enough. I'm coming out. Take it easy." Harry stepped out onto the narrow ledge, unconcerned by how high up they were.  
  
"Don't come near me!"  
  
"Shhhh. Easy. I'm just going to talk."  
  
"Touch me and I'll jump."  
  
"I understand."

* * *

Down below  
  
Severus Snape watched his partner in disbelief. "If he doesn't fall, I'm going to kill him," he muttered angrily.

* * *

Back up  
  
"You're not the first guy to think of this, you know," Harry went on. "Everyone's got problems."  
  
"You know shit."  
  
"Wrong. You're wrong. I almost tried this once. Seriously," he added at MacCleary's skeptical look. "My wife was killed by Death Eaters a few months ago. Only person I had left that I really cared about."  
  
"You're breaking my heart."  
  
Harry took out his wallet and showed MacCleary. "This is her picture. Her name was Blaise. Blaise Zambini. She was a Slytherin in my year."  
  
"Nice. Now fuck off."  
  
"I'm just trying to tell you I understand, you dope." He inched closer.  
  
"Don't touch me. I'm not doing anything wrong."  
  
"I know that. Not like you're murdering anyone."  
  
"Right. Only one hurt is me."  
  
"Same way I look at it. I'm gonna stand beside you, okay?"  
  
"No! Dammit, keep away."  
  
"Please. This is scary stuff." He put on a mock-frightened look.  
  
"I thought you said you were a Gryffindor."  
  
"Maybe I'm just afraid of heights. I once knew a man, Gryffindor through and through. But he was terrified of spiders. So please, just let me stand next to you."  
  
"Don't try anything."  
  
"I try something, we both go."  
  
"Right."  
  
Harry slowly stepped closer to the man and shivered. "There. Fucking cold up here. Helluva day for both of us, huh? Here we are. Merlin, this is really scary. I'm scared."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"You wanna smoke? Let's smoke." He pulled out his cigarette pack.  
  
"Sure." But as MacCleary reached over for one, Harry snapped a handcuff on his wrist and the other on his own.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Sorry. See this key?" He held up a little silver key and flung it off the side of the building. "We're in this together. You can go if you want. But you take me with you. Makes you a murderer."  
  
"You bastard!"  
  
"You'll be killing an Auror. I'm going inside. What say you come with me?" He motioned back to the door.  
  
"Fuck you. I'm jumping."  
  
Harry just snapped. "You wanna jump? You really want to? Fine. Let's do it." He started towards the edge.  
  
"Hey, what the fuck?"  
  
"You asked for it."  
  
"Hey, wait a minute!"  
  
He stepped of the ledge, pulling MacCleary with him. "Geronimooooooooooooooo!" 


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Previous Chapter: Harry just snapped. "You wanna jump? You really want to? Fine. Let's do it." He started towards the edge.  
  
"Hey, what the fuck?"  
  
"You asked for it."  
  
"Hey, wait a minute!"  
  
He stepped of the ledge, pulling MacCleary with him. "Geronimooooooooooooooo!"  
  
_They landed at the bottom, safe in a fireman's net. MacCleary was shrieking like a lunatic.  
  
"You tried to kill me!"  
  
"Isn't that what you wanted to do?" Harry said innocently as another Auror cut them loose from the handcuffs.  
  
Yes, but ..... "  
  
"If you ever think about jumping again, remember that."  
  
Severus stalked over to them, enraged. MacCleary gulped.  
  
"Professor Snape?"  
  
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached out to grab Harry's collar, but Harry stopped it cold.  
  
"Don't touch me."  
  
"What the fuck did you just do?!?"  
  
"I controlled the jump. You wanted him down. He's down."  
  
"C'mere." He pulled Harry's arm and brought him around the corner, away from everyone else. "Okay, Potter, no bullshit. Do you want to kill yourself?"  
  
"Aw, for Merlin's sake ....... "  
  
"Shut up. Just yes or no. Do you want to die? Huh? Yes or no?"  
  
"I got the job done."  
  
"You're not answering the question!"  
  
"What do you want to hear? Do you want to hear that I've got a vile of poison ready for occasion? Everyday I wake up and I look for a reason not to down it. Doing my job, paying them back ..... that's the reason. I can't let them get away with it. They took her from me ......  
  
"Who?" asked Severus quietly.  
  
"Blaise. My wife. I loved her .... And they killed her because of who I am."  
  
"So you do want to die."  
  
"I'm not afraid of it."  
  
"Here. Poison's too slow. Use this. Go ahead." He handed Harry his gun. "Be my guest. Go ahead if you're serious."  
  
Harry smiled and took the gun. He pulled back the hammer and pressed it to his head. "You shouldn't tempt me, Severus."  
  
"Put it in your mouth. Bullet goes in your ear, might not kill you."  
  
Harry pushed the gun into his neck instead. "Under the chin's just as good." He pulled the trigger .....  
  
....... and Severus jamed his thumb in front of the hammer just in time.  
  
"Merlin ......." he gasped. "You really are crazy."  
  
"So now you know," Harry smiled coldly.  
  
"Yeah. Now I know."

* * *

A couple streets away, still in London  
  
Severus pressed the phone to his ear, desperate for any assurance that his ex-student wasn't going to off himself. He didn't getting any.  
  
"You're asking me if he's stable and I'm telling you no," Lisa Turpin's voice came through the reciever. "He's the not the same man he was in Hogwarts, Professor."  
  
"Great. So I should worry?"  
  
"Are you kidding? The guy's a time bomb. When he goes, stand back."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Turpin. You've been very helpful." He hung up the phone and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm too old for this."

* * *

In the car  
  
The car was filled with silence. Harry quietly stared out the window, while Severus took his anger out on the road: slamming the brakes and squealing around the corners. And Severus just couldn't hold it in anymore. He pulled over to the side of the road and pounded his fist on the stearing wheel.  
  
"It's my birthday, dammit! Fifty years old today! Fifty bloody years old! Ten years on the force! Not a scratch on me. Not a scar. I've got a wife! Kids! House! Fishing boat! But I can kiss all that good-bye, because my new partner has a death wish! My fucking life is over!"  
  
"Severus - "  
  
"Shut up! Why are you talking to me?!? I'm not here anymore! I'm gone! I'm dead! You're going to see to that! You want to die - and you're going to take me with you!"  
  
"I didn't know that."  
  
"Know what?" he hissed.  
  
"That today was your birthday." Pause. "Happy Birthday, Severus. I mean that," Harry said, genuinely sounding sincere. "I just hope we stay alive long enough for me to buy you a present," he added, a playful glint in his eye.  
  
Severus couldn't help himself: he laughed out loud.  
  
"So where are we going?" asked Harry as the car started up again.  
  
"Beverly Hills. Got an address on Susan Bones' meal ticket. But remember, this guy isn't a suspect yet. We're going to question him, not damage him."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior." 


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Previous Chapter: "So where are we going?" asked Harry as the car started up again.  
  
"Beverly Hills. Got an address on Susan Bones' meal ticket. But remember, this guy isn't a suspect yet. We're going to question him, not damage him."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior."_

_

* * *

_

__

  
Harry and Severus approached the gate of a huge mansion. They had to duck behind a bush as it opened and a red Honda pulled out. Exchanging looks, they slipped inside before the gate fully shut.  
  
"Take a look," Harry whispered, motioning to a window.  
  
Severus cautiosly peered in to see enough Sacarna for all of London.  
  
"I'm thinking probable cause," said Harry.  
  
"Merlin. Maybe I should call for back up .... "  
  
"What am I - chopped liver?"  
  
"No killing."  
  
"No killing." He grinned cheesily.  
  
Severus slowly pulled open the door of a frosted glass pool house as he drew his gun.  
  
"Nice and easy."  
  
"Nice and easy," Harry repeated.  
  
"Hold it right there!"  
  
The man inside didn't hold it right there. He snatched up a shot gun and blew the glass out of the door frame, barely missing Harry's head. Severus dived down and brought his gun back up, shooting the guy in the shoulder.  
  
"See how easy that was," said Severus as they approached the man. "Boom. Still alive. Now we take the gun away." He did. "And we question him. Know why we can question him? Because I hit him in the shoulder. I didn't blow him up or jump off a building with him."  
  
"No fair," Harry whinned. "The building guy lived."  
  
"Whatever. The point is - no killing."  
  
"No killing."  
  
"Right. Piece of cake. I'm very happy. Read the man his rights. I'll be over here being happy."  
  
Unfortunately, he did not see the man on the ground take a hidden wand out of his waistband and aim it dead center at him back. Harry, however, noticed and sprung into action. Before the guy could fire, Harry's foot flashed out and threw the guy backwards ...... into the pool and on top of the plastic cover. It sucked him in and he sunk to the bottom. Severus dived in after him and pulled on the plastic tomb. But it was no use. The plastic smothered him.  
  
Severus surfaced and glared daggers at an embarrased Harry kneeling by the side of the pool.  
  
"Oops."  
  
"Have you ever met someone you didn't kill?" Severus growled.  
  
"Haven't killed you yet."  
  
"Want a little gold star?"

* * *

Severus finnished giving a statment and left the crimescene. Harry was waiting by the car.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry I said that back there. You saved my life. Thank you," he choked out.  
  
"I bet that hurt to say."  
  
"You have no idea." They climbed into the car. "Have you got anywhere to go tonight?"  
  
"Home to my empty apartment. Why?"  
  
"Come to dinner tonight. It's the least I can do. Plus, if Trish finds out I didn't invite you, she'll kill me."  
  
"Trish?"  
  
"My wife."  
  
"That's right, I forgot you were married."  
  
"Married and three kids. Brianna is the oldest - she's seventeen."  
  
"Wait, that would mean she would have been born in 1993. Why - "  
  
"I couldn't really tell anyone I had a family," Severus interrupted quietly. "Being a spy and all."  
  
The two rode in silence all the way to the Snape home. 


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Tomorrow, I'm leaving on vacation. I promise that I'll continue updating as soon as I get back (Monday, July 5 ..... 3 days before my birthday!)**

**Chapter 10**

Godric's Hollow  
  
"Hi, daddy," Carrie chirrped as they came through the door. "Is that a Death Eater?"  
  
"No, sweetie, this is Harry, my new partner," he responded, hugging her. "Tell Harry what you think of Death Eaters."  
  
"Buttheads!"  
  
"Kid's no dummy," said Harry.  
  
"Daddy, Mommy says you hate her cooking."  
  
"Tell Mommy hate is a mild word," he said. Carrie giggle and ran upstairs as the two Aurors entered the kitchen. Severus greeted his cooking wife.  
  
"Hi, honey." He opened the oven. "We're having something brown. A largish brown object."  
  
"It's roast."  
  
"Dammit, I wanted to guess. Honey, this is Harry, my new partner. He'll be joining us tonight, okay?"  
  
"Sure. Roast okay with you, Harry?"  
  
"It's fine."  
  
"How about brown, roast-like substance?" Severus asked.  
  
Trishia hit him upside the head. "Sev, you're being an asshole." She kissed his ear. "Don't forget to compliment Brianna on her shoes."  
  
"Got it. Drink, Harry?"  
  
"Sure, whatever you've got."  
  
"I'm not much of a cook," Trishia commented as Severus left the room.  
  
"Don't worry. I could burn water." He reached for a stray piece of roast, but Trishia slapped his hand.  
  
"Don't pick."  
  
Harry smiled.

* * *

Severus ran into his Brianna as he headed back towards the kitchen.  
  
"Hello, Father."  
  
"Hello, daughter. Nice shoes."  
  
"Oh, Daddy, aren't they great?"  
  
"Absolutely. How much did they cost?"  
  
"Fifty Galleons. Do you really like them?"  
  
Severus choked. "Fifty ...... They're shoes."  
  
"Right."  
  
"You wear them on your feet."  
  
"Right."  
  
"And that's all they do? There's not, like, a TV inside?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
He shook his head. "I'm very old."

* * *

Outside  
  
Trishia Snape wheeled the garbage pail past her husband's boat on the way out to the curb. "That's okay, honey," she called sarcastically. I'll take out the garbage."  
  
Severus head appeared over the side of the boat. He looked sheepish. "Yeah. Thanks, hon."  
  
Aboard the boat, Severus worked on the engine. Harry was sitting on the driver's seat.  
  
"What do you think?" asked Severus.  
  
"Do you know 'anything' about boats, Sevlet?"  
  
He ignored the name. "I know how much they cost."  
  
"I mean, can you sail this thing?"  
  
"What's wrong with you? This isn't a sail boat."  
  
Harry smiled. "That's what I thought."  
  
"No trick to it. That's the front. That's the back. Water all around. Why do you have make things so complicated?"  
  
"I don't. That's just how they are."  
  
"Oh, yeah. You mean Susan Bone's murder."  
  
"Now did I mention that?"  
  
"You don't have to. I can read your mind."  
  
"Wasn't it you who told me there was no such thing as mind-reading?"  
  
"You know what I mean." He sighed when Harry didn't respond. "I don't get you, Potter. What's the problem? We've got one dead girl and one dead guy. Dead guy killed the dead girl and you killed the dead guy because he wanted us to be dead guys. Seems pretty easy to me." Harry just inspected the dashboard of the boat. "Look, her sugar daddy was dealing drugs. She said something or did something or saw something she shouldn't have, and he pitched her off the balcony. That's why he came at us today."  
  
"I don't know. Sounds a little too neat to me."  
  
"Of course it's neat. And what's wrong with neat? I like neat." Harry switched on the engine. "Hey! Watch what you're doing!"  
  
Severus fumbled with all the switches in a futile effort to turn off the engine. But Harry knew exactly which switch to flip.  
  
"Looking for this?" He silenced the engine. Severus glared at him.  
  
"You asshole."  
  
"Hi, Dad," said a voice behind Severus, causing him to jump.  
  
"What is it, Brianna?"  
  
"Mark wants to take me out to a club tomorrow night."  
  
"You're grounded, you know that."  
  
"Please, Daddy."  
  
"Which one is Mark again?"  
  
"The blond one."  
  
"Oh yeah, the one with pits in his face."  
  
"Those are dimples."  
  
"Those are pits. When he smiles, I can see through his head. The answer is no. End of story."  
  
"C'mon, Sev. Have a heart," said Harry.  
  
Severus shot him a look. "The girl was smoking pot in the house. She's grounded!"  
  
"Next time, I'll just take a beer instead. Why can you have a beer, but I can't have a joint. It's not sacarna, Dad."  
  
He looked down at the beer in his hand, sheepishly. Harry grinned to himself.  
  
"Because ..... it's legal for me to have a beer, but it's not legal for you to have a joint. Right or wrong."  
  
"Wrong," she said at the same time Harry said, "Right."  
  
She stomped off and Severus turned back to Harry. "I've lost track. Did we resolve anything here tonight?"  
  
Harry shook his head and climbed off the boat. "Yeah. We resolved that your wife takes out the garbage. Your daughter smokes pot, which is illegal, but shouldn't be. You don't know anything about boats. And you've got one hell of a family."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Enjoyed the meal.  
  
"Bullshit, but thanks anyway."  
  
"You don't trust me at all, do you?"  
  
Severus looked taken aback. "Tell you what. Make it through tomorrow without killing anybody. Especially me. Or yourself. Then I'll start trusting you."  
  
"Fair enough." He turned and look Severus straight in the eye. "I do it real good, you know."  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Kill people. Everyone always said so. It was my destiny: to be killed or to become a murderer." He sighed. "Well, see you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah. See you then."

* * *

Streets of Paris  
  
Harry Apparated from Godric's Hollow to a couple of blocks to his house, the closest the wards of Le Mort would allow him. The streets were empty ...... except for a young hooker on the corner. Harry's eyes widened in recognition.  
  
"Hi, handsome," the girl said as Harry approached. "Looking for something?"  
  
"Aren't we all. Come with me."  
  
They walked along the road in silence.  
  
"How old are you?" Harry finally asked.  
  
"Twenty-two."  
  
"Seriously."  
  
"Why? You like 'em young?"  
  
"How old are you?" he repeated.  
  
"Sixteen."  
  
Harry nodded and handed her fifty Galleons  
  
"Wow," she breathed. "So, what do you want?"  
  
"I want you to come home and watch television with me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"And I want to know why you are doing this, Miss Weasley."

* * *

Harry's Appartment  
  
Sandra Weasley sat in front of Harry's TV, an over-sized sweatshirt now covering her revealing top, and watched the Three Stooges. "So, are you another Auror my Dad sent after me," she asked distractedly.  
  
"I am an Auror," said Harry. "But nobody sent me."  
  
"Then how'd you know who I was?"  
  
"The hair."  
  
She laughed bitterly. "Always."  
  
"Who's daughter are you anyway?"  
  
"Bill Weasley's." She looked at Harry's sad expression. "You're not having a very good time, are you?"  
  
"You don't know that. Maybe this is how I look when I'm having a good time. Maybe I'm having the time of my life."  
  
"Are you?" Harry didn't answer. "I know. Sing me something."  
  
Harry gave her an incredulous look. "I don't sing."  
  
"Come on. Sing me a song."  
  
"I don't know any songs."  
  
"Not even a Christmas song? Everybody knows a Christmas song."  
  
"Something through the snow," he sang, half-heartedly. "In a one-horse open sleigh."  
  
"Good. That's good. Over the hills we go, laughing all the way."  
  
"Something something ring, making something bright .... "  
  
"Oh what fun it is to ride .... "  
  
"To grandma's house tonight!"  
  
Caught up in the moment, Sandra threw her arms around her neck and hugged him. Harry looked shocked until she let go.  
  
"Sorry," she said softly.  
  
"It's okay," he assured her. "But you never did tell me why you're doing this."  
  
"Why shouldn't I? What else is there for me to do?"  
  
"Don't your parents care that you're a ...... "  
  
"A prostitute? No. My Dad's too busy with the resistance and my mom has three other kids to deal with."  
  
"They don't know, do they," he stated quietly.  
  
"I ran away three weeks ago."  
  
"I think it's time for you to go back."


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: As I said in the notes for the last chapter, I'm leaving tomorrow ... well, today for vacation. So I decided to post 2 chapters before I went to bed to hold you guys over a bit. I want to warn you, though. The end of chapter 12 is a cliffhanger. Have a good week.**

**Chapter 11**

Versailles, France

Harry watched from the shadows as young Sandra Weasley was hugged by her parents. A very world weary Bill Weasley looked up to sky, tears streaming down his face.  
  
Sandra glanced over to where he was hiding, but Harry just shrank back further. He couldn't face them. Not yet.

* * *

Godric's Hollow

Sunlight streamed through the windows as Severus stired groggily, forcing open his eyes. Staring down at him was Harry Potter's scruffy, early morning face. Severus frowned.  
  
"Harry?" he blinked.  
  
"Good morning, Sev." Harry chirrped. "I've been doing a little thinking." Severus stared blankly. "About the night Susan Bones died."   
  
Severus grimaced. "Do you know what time it is?"  
  
"Day time?"  
  
He sighed. "I'll get dressed."

* * *

The KitchenTrishia Snape was singing, fixing breakfast and throwing amused glances at her barely awake husband. Harry carefully took off his holster and sat down across the table from Severus. 

"You're seriously using ketcup?" he asked the former Professor.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"On eggs."  
  
"Who made the ketcup?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Heinz."  
  
"Who made the eggs?"  
  
Harry looked to Trishia. She glared at both of them.

"You two are so hilarious I could bust."  
  
Harry leaned forward in his chair. "Severus."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"That hooker who witnessed the jump the other night. What was her name?"  
  
"Lavender. Lavender Brown," he answered carefully. If Harry had any sort of reaction to the news, it didn't show.  
  
"What's a hooker?" Carrie asked, coming into the room.  
  
"Shh, quiet. I'm combatting crime."  
  
Harry ignored them. "Right, and she's in London witnessing Susan Bone's suicide - "  
  
" - or murder - "  
  
"Right, or murder, and my question is: what is she doing there? I asked around, that's not her usual turf."  
  
"Wow, that's really reaching."  
  
"Cut me a break. It's a hunch, Sev. I'm having a hunch."  
  
"You couldn't have had it at home? You had to come here at 7:30 a.m. and have it?"  
  
"7:35 and yes. I thought you'd be excited."  
  
"I'm thrilled." He paused. "Okay."  
  
"Okay, what?"  
  
"Okay, go for it. I'm listening."

* * *

In the Auror training room  
  
Harry and Severus stood on line at the firing range. Around them the echoing BOOM of gunshots filled the morning air. They struggled to be heard over the tumult.  
  
"We know someone was in bed with Susan the night she died," Severus began.  
  
"Right." Harry nodded. "Up until now we assumed it was a man."  
  
"Let's say it was your old friend, Lavender." 

"Okay. Disgusting, considering how well I know her, but okay."  
  
Severus gave him a strange look. "Did you sleep with her - ?"  
  
"Moving on." He gave his partner a look that clearly said the subject was dropped. "Let's sa Lavender slipped the mess remover into the pills."  
  
"Say someone paid her to do it."  
  
"Sure. She thinks, terrific, Susan swallows a couple downers and boom! She's dead. Then Lavender - "

"If it was her - "  
  
"Right, right. Then Lavender has plenty of time to spritz the place up, get out, whatever."  
  
"Except Susan jumps out the window."  
  
"Or Lavender pushes her. Either way."  
  
"Either way, she's gotta make a fast get-a-way because now the body's public. She hauls arse downstairs."  
  
"People are coming out to see what happened."  
  
"Someone spots her. She says 'Shit'."

"She actually stops and says 'Shit'."  
  
"Or 'Damn'."  
  
"Or 'Golly, I've been spotted'. The point being ... "  
  
"The point being, now she has to cover her arse."  
  
"So she says 'Officer, Officer, I saw the whole thing'."

"Right."  
  
"Right."

"That's pretty fucking thin," Severus sighed.  
  
"Very thin."  
  
"Hell with it. Thin's my middle name."  
  
"With your wife's cooking, I'm not surprised," smirked Harry.  
  
"Would you lay off the cooking?"  
  
"Tell her that."  
  
Harry stepped to the line. He drew his Beretta and fired off the rest of his clip. Three-shots: two in the chest, one in the head. He removed the empty magazine lovingly and snapped in a new one.  
  
Severus shook his head wryly. "You sleep with that thing under your pillow?"  
  
"I would if I slept."  
  
"Here, stand back." He stepped up and cracked his neck. He fired, the bang deafening, and the   
target grew a third eye, dead center. He grinned. "Would you look at that? Pretty good for an old man."  
  
Harry shruged and turned around. He shot backwards. The hole grew larger.  
  
Severus glared at him. "Yeah, yeah. Bite me."


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Scotland

Severus pulled up to the curb in front of a row neatly trimmed houses. Harry grimaced, instantly reminded of Privet Drive. They got out and walked towards the blue ranch on the corner. A little boy with curly hair was drawing in the dirt. Harry gave him a quick smile.   
  
Severus eyed the house. "Very thin."  
  
"Probably nothing," Harry agreed.  
  
They mounted the steps to the walk. The house suddenly exploded.

The two Aurors hit the dirt, Harry sheilding the kid. Severus dived behind a telephone pole, only to have a peice of shrapnel miss his head by inches. As the smoked cleared, he got to his feet, dazed. He looked over at Harry, who was helping the shaken child up.  
  
"Hey," he said suddenly. Harry turned around. "You're on fire."  
  
Harry quickly pulled off his coat and threw it aside. Then, he lit a cigarette and scanned the ruble. "Probably nothing."  
  
"Thin. Very thin."

* * *

Later

Back-up Aurors arrived on the scene quickly and a charred body was soon removed from the house.  
  
Severus blanched when he saw it. "Merlin ... "  
  
"We're hoping to find some teeth in there," said the attendent, following the body out of the debris. "Otherwise, could be anybody. Could be a fucking bowl of soup, for all we know."  
  
"I got it." He watched as the body was carted off to a nearby truck. "Bye-bye, Lavender."

* * *

Even Later  
  
Severus found Harry sitting on the curb awhile later, examining a twisted hunk of metal.  
  
"What's that?" he asked.  
  
"Part of the device." Harry flipped it over. "Holy shit."

"What?"  
  
"Artwork. This is fucking artwork.:  
  
"Swell. I'm glad you liked it."  
  
"You don't understand. This is real pro stuff. Haven't seen this since ... well, since the war."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"The Project used to hire mercs who used this same setup."  
  
Before Severus got a chance to respond, another Auror came and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Sirs, I think you'd better come with me," the man said. Harry and Severus stood and followed him across the street. "Okay, here it is. The kid says he saw someone working on the meter this morning."  
  
"Where, Thompson?" asked Severus, glancing over at the boy, who was now drawing on paper.  
  
"Across the street at Brown's. He was playing some kind of game, hiding under the stairs. Says he saw the guy pretty good."  
  
"This could be a break."  
  
"You're kidding," Harry interjected. "The kid's six years old."  
  
"If that," said Thompson.  
  
"You call the gas company?" Severus continued, ignoring his partner.

"Sure did. No one is supposed to check that meter for at least another month."

"Let me handle this."  
  
"Be my guest."  
  
"Wanna wear the chicken suit?" said Harry, dryly. "I got some clown makeup."  
  
"Stow it," Severus snapped. He walked over and sat down next to the boy. Harry leaned up against the telephone pole, smirking slightly. "Hi. I'm Captain Snape. What's your name?"  
  
"Arnold."  
  
"How old are you, Arnold?"  
  
"Six." He points to Severus' belt. "Is that a real gun?"  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
"Do you kill people."  
  
"No. If a guy is hurting someone, I try to shoot him in the arm or something. Just to stop him." He shot a look to Harry, who was sulking.  
  
"Arnold, this man you saw. The meter man. Did you get a good look at him?"  
  
"I saw him."  
  
"Great. The man at the meter. Can you picture him in your head? Think about what he looked like. Got it?" Arnold nodded. "I want you to draw him for me."  
  
As Arnold picked up a crayon, Harry cleared his throat and rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother. This is good. I like this."  
  
"Can it, Harry."  
  
"We're gonna put out an alert on Big Bird." He put a hand to his mouth to muffle the sound. "Attention all units. Large yellow bird. Silly voice."

"You're hilarious," he said sarcastically, before Arnold held out the picture to him. "All done?" He studdied the paper.  
  
Harry looked over Severus' shoulder and snorted at the stick-figure. "Brilliant investigative work? I think so," he managed to get out, before he started cracking up.  
  
Severus scowled at him. "Terrific. Very professional."  
  
"He laughed at my picture," Arnold pouted.  
  
"Shhh, don't mind him. He's crazy."  
  
"I'm a good drawer."  
  
"You bet." He pointed at the drawing. "This is ... the man's arm, right?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Okay. Now this mark. Is this ... What is this?"  
  
"He had it on his arm."  
  
Harry stopped laughing abruptly and looked closer at the boy. "Whoa. What was on his arm?" Arnold stayed silent.  
  
"Was it a birthmark?" Severus questioned.  
  
"No," he said hesitantly. "It was pained."

"Pained?" Pause. "It was ... painted?"  
  
Yeah."  
  
"Like a tatto." He slowly pulled the sleeve of his robe up, exposing the Dark Mark. "Was it like this?"

Arnold shook his head. "It was that." He pointed at Harry's arm.  
  
"Just like this?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah. Man had the same thing."  
  
"You're sure?" Arnold nodded.

"Special Force tattoo," he whispered as he met Severus' gave. "Every Phoenix took one."  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, Sev?"  
  
"What the hell have we gotten into?"


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13  
**  
Harry reclined in his lounge chair, eyeing an expensive villa on a cliff overlooking the ocean. He can just see Amelia Bones' office through a high- up veranda window. He scanned the area around the house. A memorial service for Susan was being held on the front lawn. He could spot a few familiar faces – Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Colin and Dennis Creevy, John MacCleary, and the trade-mark red-hair of several Weasleys.  
  
The Auror pulled his sunglasses over his eyes and laid back. He lit a cigarette.

* * *

Amelia Bones leaned on the window pane, looking wearier than ever. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.  
  
"Hello Amelia," Severus said coldly.  
  
"Severus! What a pleasant surprise! What's going on?"  
  
"Not much. Want to tell me about it?"  
  
"Tell you about wh-what?"  
  
"Don't bullshit me. That's over. Your niece wasn't killed because of something she was into. She was killed because of something you are into. Stop me if I'm wrong."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Severus took a threatening step forward. "Take it easy ... "  
  
"Fuck easy! When you called me the other day, you were going to blow the whistle, weren't you?"  
  
"Blow the whistle on what?  
  
"You tell me. You were going to spill your guts. So they killed Susan." Amelia swallowed hard. "Talk to me."  
  
"I can't – I can't do that ... "  
  
"They killed her."  
  
"I – "  
  
"They paid off a hooker to poison your niece. Talk to me!"  
  
"Dammit, Severus! I've got a daughter!"  
  
"She'll be protected. It's over."  
  
"Protected," said Amelia bitterly. "That's a laugh. You don't know these people."  
  
"Acquaint me."  
  
Amelia started pacing back and forth. "It goes all the way back to war. I ended up working with a group called the Syndicate. It was a subterfuge division that ran everything, both sides of the war, from behind the scenes in cooperation with the Phoenix Project. You have heard of that. I'm sure of it. What with Harry being your partner – "  
  
"I'm familiar with the basics."  
  
"Then you know they were mercenaries. Trained killers." She shook her head wryly. "Anyway, about a year before the Dark Lord was killed, some of his inner circle came up with the bright idea of shipping Sacarna in from South America. Our outfit went in and burned the whole thing down. The Phoenix's killed everyone. But ... some of us formed a plan."  
  
"Keep going."  
  
"Five years ago, we got together again. We still had a list of the cartels contacts. And we've been bringing it in ever since."  
  
"Bringing what in?"  
  
"Think real hard."  
  
"Sacarna."  
  
Amelia nodded. "Two shipments a year. And no one knows. Until now, that is."  
  
Severus' eyes flashed. "If you were getting cold feet, why'd they kill Amanda? Why not just kill you?"  
  
"They can't. They need me. My bank is the front. This is big business, Severus."  
  
"Not anymore. I'm taking it down."  
  
"You can't. It's too big. These guys are trained murderers."  
  
"So is my partner," Severus smirked. "Tell me about the next shipment."  
  
"No. No way."  
  
Severus picked up a picture of Susan from the desk and slammed it down. The glass shattered. "Tell me!"  
  
Amelia gained a dreamy look in her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with kids nowadays. We're the fucked up ones. We're the ones who are killing everything ... "She reached into the drawer behind her and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Severus. "Back off."  
  
"Oh, swell. Good move."  
  
"I'm not kidding. I'm in too far now." She cocked the hammer. "This gun is silenced."  
  
"What's it going to be," he growled. "You saved my life just so you could snuff me later?"  
  
"Things are different now."  
  
"I guess." They stared each other down. "If you can do it, then do it. If this is how the world is going be, I don't fucking care anymore."  
  
Amelia blinked and lowered the gun. "What do you want to know?"  
  
Severus relaxed visibly. Then the window shattered. Amelia fell to the floor, hand clutching her stomach. Blood seeped out, spattering the floor.  
  
"Severus – "With her dying breath, she pulled him down, taking the bullet that was speeding toward the captain's head. More bullets riddled the room as Severus screamed.  
  
"Harry!"

* * *

Harry, hearing Severus pleas, jumped up from his chair. His eyes widened as he took in the broken window glass. He hadn't heard the shots.  
  
He skimmed the yard for the shooter and quickly spotted a lone man striding past the crowd. Harry's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Nott," he snarled.  
  
Noticing Harry's gaze, Nott broke into a run. He undid the silencer on the gun and started firing.  
  
Harry took off after him, aiming his own piece. The mourners were screaming now.  
  
"Get down!" Harry yelled. "Get down now!"  
  
Severus exited the house, following them. Nott neared the edge of the bluff and jumped ...  
  
... landing in the door of a helicopter waiting there. He leans out the door, still shooting back at an approaching Harry.  
  
Harry dived at the edge of the cliff, nearly flinging himself over the end. The gun was like an extension of his arm and shot after shot is hurtling after the chopper, taking of bits of paint and fiberglass. But it was still flying away.  
  
Harry dumped his magazine and loaded a new one, still firing.  
  
Severus caught up to him and stood there, gun hanging limply by his side. Finally, Harry ran out of bullets. His eyes were following the retreating helicopter.  
  
His hands unclenched the barrel of the gun and shut his eyes.  
  
"You through?" asked Severus, quietly.  
  
Harry looked up at him, cold fire in his eyes. "I haven't even started yet."

* * *

Various Auror personnel were strewn across the lawn, interviewing the panicking witnesses. Severus and Harry stood off to the side, watching.  
  
"How bad is this?" asked Severus.  
  
Harry rubbed his temples. "It was Nott. He knows us, Sev."  
  
"And just what would he do with this information?"  
  
There was silence.

* * *

Theodore Nott picked up a headset in the helicopter and addressed his boss.  
  
"Yes, sir ... Bones is dead. I'm afraid, however, that another problem exists."  
  
Draco Malfoy's voice came through the wires. "Define."  
  
"She spoke to the Aurors, sir."  
  
"Are they dead?"  
  
"No, I missed."  
  
"That's very disappointing. They may know everything. The whole operation, yes?"  
  
"Yes. Awaiting orders, sir."  
  
"I think it's time to turn up the heat."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"First things first, find out who they are."  
  
"I already know, sir."  
  
"Care to enlighten me, Nott?"  
  
Theodore smirked. "Snape and Potter, sir." 


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Brianna Snape kissed her boyfriend passionately in his black Camaro. She reluctantly pulled away.

"Mark, I have to get home," she said, sadly.

"Would you quit worrying? Your mom thinks you're sleeping and your dad's busy shooting crooks."

"He said he'll shoot _you_ if we have sex."

"Some things are worth dying for."

"Wait." She leaned back and took out her gum, sticking it to the dashboard. She kissed him again.

Theodore Nott's face appeared in the car window and he smirked.

* * *

Harry slowly walked down the street, an old picture of Susan Bones clutched in his hand. He paused to light up a cigarette. And he stopped abruptly as he noticed the reflection on the silver lighter's surface.

Two points of light were moving steadily closer to him. He spun around, drawing his gun. The headlights of the car blinded him as it came barreling around the corner. Harry fired off his gun and ran for cover. But it was too late.

A mercenary leaned out of the window and pointed a shotgun at the retreating Auror. The first two shots missed, but the third hit Harry directly in the chest.

He blew backwards into a store display, glass shattering all around him. The car sped away.

Severus came running from across the street. He dropped down beside Harry.

"Please, don't be dead," he pleaded. He ripped open Harry's shirt ...

... revealing a bullet-proof vest. Harry slowly opened his eyes.

"I'm pissed, Sev," he said as he sat up next to his partner. "Now I'm pissed."

* * *

Severus was shooting Harry concerned looks as they headed back to the car.

"Sev," Harry bit out impatiently. "Quit looking so damn worried. I'm fine."

"Two inches higher and they would've got your head."

"Fuck that. Two inches to the left, they would've got my smokes." He took one out. "Oh, by the way, guy who shot me?"

"Yeah?"

"It was the guy who was driving Nott's getaway helicopter."

"You sure?"

"I never forget an asshole."

"Okay." Severus sighed. "What do we do now?"

"Give up? Flee? Go far away?"

"Hilarious. What do we really do?"

"What else? We bury the fuckers. You know, we solve this, we could become famous."

"You're already famous."

Harry waved a hand dismissively. "So? After this, we could have our own TV series."

"We could wind up doing fast food ads."

"Don't be a killjoy. It's Friday night. Let's go kick ass."

"You just got shot."

"Exactly."

"What do you mean, exactly?"

"Gives us the edge." He smiled sardonically. "They think I'm dead, Sev. I'm a corpse. Aren't they just going to freak when I nail them in the coffins?"

The police radio in the car squawked and Severus reached down to answer it.

"Four king ninety, it's four king sixty. We've got a homicide on Muller Drive, "came the voice over the wires.

"Negative, four king sixty. Give it to Burke."

"Sorry. Captain said to give it to you. Male Caucasian, age seventeen."

"Great. Did he have blond hair and big dimples?"

There was a long pause. "How'd you know ...?"

Severus and Harry both paled. They jumped into the car and Severus put his foot to the gas.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_Previous Chapter: "Four king ninety, it's four king sixty. We've got a homicide on Muller Drive, "came the voice over the wires._

"_Negative, four king sixty. Give it to Burke."_

"_Sorry. Captain said to give it to you. Male Caucasian, age seventeen."_

"_Great. Did he have blond hair and big dimples?"_

_There was a long pause. "How'd you know ...?"_

_Severus and Harry both paled. They jumped into the car and Severus put his foot to the gas._

_

* * *

_

__

Severus slammed on the breaks outside his house and burst out of the car, sprinting up to the door. He flung it open and stopped dead. On the floor beneath the door was a tiny envelope, 'Seasons Greetings!' written in block letters on the front. Slowly, he picked it up and opened it.

'YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER.'

There was a snapshot with it. His eyes clenched shut after he saw the image of his daughter tied to a chair, blood seeping from a cut on her forehead.

"Bastards," he mutters. "Bastards."

Harry stared at him sorrowfully. The telephone started to ring. "Sev," he said softly.

Severus looked up and snapped out of it. Down the hall, Trishia moved to answer the phone.

"Don't answer that!" he yelled and rushed to scoop up the receiver. "Snape." He listened intently, a look of dread on his face. He hung up and stared straight ahead, unseeing. Trishia looked worried.

"Hon, what is it?"

"They took our kid ... Assholes took my kid ... "

Harry's jaw tightened, a look of brutal hatred sweeping across his face.

* * *

Auror Headquarters, Ireland

Burke leaned back in his chair, flipping the page of the comic book he was reading. Behind him, a group of Aurors are singing '_Deck the Halls'_. Badly.

The phone rang.

"Burke, Homicide – just a moment, please – " He turned to the singing group. "Hey, will guys shut up, for Merlin's sake!" The room quiets. Slightly. "Yes, can I help you?"

Unbeknownst to Burke, Theodore Nott's voice came through the receiver.

"Hello, I'm calling from the Daily Prophet. We just obtained word that Harry Potter had some trouble on a case tonight – "

"Yes, Sergeant Potter has been killed. He was shot through the chest by unknown assailants."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's a bad day for all of us. And what is your name, sir?"

"Good-bye."

* * *

On the other side of town, Nott was in the back of a limo, Draco Malfoy sitting next to him. Nott hung up the phone.

"Bingo. Potter is out of the picture."

"Pity," Draco said, insincerely. "I want Snape taken alive."

"He may not talk."

"We have his little girl. He'll talk."

* * *

Godric's Hollow

Trishia walked around her daughter's room, touching things and trying not to break down crying. Severus entered and looked at her sadly. He handed her a gun.

"Take this. Until it's over, I don't want you to let it out of your sight." Trishia nodded. "They're not going to hurt her," he said reassuringly. "If I do exactly what they say ... they'll let her go. She's coming home."

"What about you?"

Severus didn't answer.

* * *

Harry paced in the living room, carefully pulling bits of glass from the assassination attempt out of his arms. He heard a noise and spun around, startled.

Carrie Snape stood there, looking adorable with her blue nightgown and cat cuddled in her arms.

Harry relaxed and walked over to her. "Hey, Missy."

"I can't sleep," she mumbled.

"Uh-oh, not good." He picked her up. "Who's your friend?"

"Snicket the cat."

"He's a cutie."

Carrie looked at him and slowly reached out a hand to touch the lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead. She looked fascinated.

"Ouch."

Harry smiled and whispered softly, "Yeah. Ouch." Suddenly, he hugged the girl tightly and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he looked incredibly old and very tired.

* * *

Later

Carrie fell asleep on the couch, snuggled beneath an afghan. Harry and Severus stood across the room, conferring in hushed tones.

"You know they are going to kill her," Harry stated bluntly.

"Yes."

"If you want her back, you've got to take her away from them."

"I know."

"Good. We do this my way. You shoot, you shoot to kill. Get as many as you can. Don't miss."

"I won't miss."

Harry surveyed Severus. Finally, he said, "We're going to get bloody on this one. You're going to have to trust me."

"How ... how good are you?"

"What?"

"Are you only crazy or ... are you ... as good as you say you are?"

A pause. "No one can touch me."

"Good. Kill every fucking one of them. Okay?"

Grim determination showed in the fire in Harry's eyes. "Get half. I'll kill the other half."

The phone rang.

"Here we go," said Harry.

* * *

Le Mort, France

The apartment was dark when he arrived. Out on the street, carolers stood belting out 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing'. Harry glanced up at the wall calendar: the 22 of December.

He walked across the room and opened a closet. He pulled out an old cardboard box. Sitting next to it, he downed a shot of whiskey.

Inside the box was a black trench coat. He took it out and donned it. Underneath laid a hunting knife, which he held up to his face. The cold steel was reflected in his eyes.

Harry strapped the knife to his ankle. He added two more guns to his body and strapped another holster, plus wand, to his arm. He stood up and glanced over to the wall. The picture of his beautiful wife was still there.

"Forgive me."

A knock sounded at the door and Harry spun around quickly, gun in hand.

"It's me," Severus voice came through the door.

"Come in slow," Harry said cautiously.

Severus entered, eyeing Harry's outfit. He rested the briefcase he was carrying on the bed and opened it. It was filled with ammunition.

"Hollow points," he explained. "Armor piercing."

Harry nodded. "You weren't followed?"

"No." He watched as Harry grabbed handfuls of ammo. The older man began to hook a small microphone underneath his collar.

"Testing one – two – three?"

"Fine," replied Harry. He peered at the clock. "It's twelve-thirty. Let's move."

"Don't get to close," Severus warned. "They'll spot you."

Harry hoisted a long-range, sniper rifle over his shoulder and smirked at Severus' wide-eyes.

"Thousand yards, okay?"


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: See Author's note in Chapter One (or chapter 2 as it's shown on the site).**

Chapter 16

Severus drove through the desert, his teeth clenched. In the distance, he saw a group of shapes. The men who took his daughter. Leaning forward slightly, he whispered into his hidden microphone.

"Split."

The trunk popped open and Harry rolled out. He leaned down to the ground, hiding behind desert brush, the riffle gripped in his hands.

Severus came to a stop. He got out of his car, facing the group, hands in pockets.

"Snape?" one of them asked.

"Yes. I'm alone."

"Hands up. Come with us."

"Show me the girl."

"She's not here."

"Bullshit. Let me see her. Then I come quietly."

The man nodded and a van pulled up. The door opened to reveal Brianna, gagged up and helpless. Nott was standing next to her, a pistol pointed at her head.

"He wants to see the girl," the man said needlessly.

Severus looked at his daughter, face filled with relief that she was alive.

"Simple exchange," said another man. Severus' eyes widened in recognition. "You come with us, the girl takes a walk."

"Crabbe," Severus smiled. "We're old friends. Can't you just let her go now?"

"No. And take your hands out of your pockets."

Severus shrugged. "Sure thing, mate ... "He slowly raised his hands to show the grenade in his left fist. Crabbe swore. "This fucker is alive," he said, shaking the grenade. "Let her go or we all die."

Nott stepped out of the car, calmly. "Take him."

"But sir – "began Crabbe.

"He's bluffing. It's a dud. He wouldn't risk killing his own daughter."

"Don't push me," Severus said threateningly.

"Take him."

* * *

Far away from this scene, Harry was laying in the desert, riffle pointed at the figures. He locked on to one of Brianna's captors. He licked his finger and tested the wind.

"Come on," he muttered. "Come on."

He hadn't done this in years. The last time being three years after the final battle.

Harry ran a finger over the gun fondly. Wizards had started relying heavily on these weapons after a shield against the Killing Curse had been developed in 1998.

Guns just killed a whole lot faster now.

Plus, he had never like Avada Kedavra much anyway.

* * *

Severus and Nott stared each other down. A man pushed a knife to Brianna's throat.

"Put the pin back in. Do it."

Severus sweated as Nott moved forward, gun extended.

* * *

Harry sat dead still, focusing through the riffle scope.

"Move. Move away from the girl ... "

* * *

Nott cocked the gun. "Drop the fucking grenade."

"I do and we die," Severus said seriously.

"No, I don't think so." He pulled the trigger.

The bullet caught Severus in the shoulder and he dropped the grenade, diving for cover. The man holding Brianna stepped back.

Bingo.

* * *

Harry smirked evilly and pulled the trigger.

BAM!

* * *

The man dropped and Nott's head snapped around. He stared off into the distance and hissed,

"Potter!"

Severus sat up, gun in hand, firing. "Brianna, the car!" he shouts and she bolted.

A black car's windshield splintered as Harry fired again. The driver was killed instantly.

The grenade went off, showering them with a cloud of orange smoke and confetti.

"Dud!" Nott screamed triumphantly. "It's a dud!"

Brianna jumped into the black car, pushing the blood spattered driver to the side. Nott kept shooting at her.

Severus was flat on the sand, shot after shot flying out of his gun like a madman.

Brianna peeled out. Crabbe jumped onto the front of her car, aiming at her.

* * *

Harry noticed. "No," he grunted and the one-eyed man was dust. He heard her scream, but she kept driving. He lined up for another shot ...

CLICK.

Harry spun around slowly, dread in his eyes. Draco Malfoy stood over him, a gun pointed at his head.

"Not so fast," Malfoy said, smiling. "Drop the riffle." He spoke into a walkie-talkie. "I've got Potter."

* * *

Severus tried to run, firing the gun blindly. The ground around him literally exploded with gunfire. He dropped the gun, defeated.

Nott, flanked with two Uzi-carrying men, emerged through the smoke.

"A very nice try." He picked up his own walkie-talkie. "Ken, get the girl."

* * *

Harry stood, arms over his head. Malfoy studied him thoughtfully.

"How long has it been?" Harry chose to remain silent. "Oh, that's right. Since we killed that wife of yours." He smirked. "But, let me be truthful with you, Harry. After all, we were old school mates." He shook his head as if remembering better days. "The truth is we didn't know she was your wife. If that makes you feel any better. We just thought we were getting rid of the one person that the Raven cared about. And his combat record was the stuff of legends. Funny how things work out."

"Yeah. Hilarious. You always did have the most fucked up sense of humor. It'll almost be a shame when I kill you."

Malfoy laughed. "I don't think so."

* * *

Brianna drove through the desert, speeding. The sand exploded in front of her and she screamed, swerving. She pushed the dead body out of the way as it slid to collide with her.

The helicopter was flying over, raining bullets down on her. She jumped out of the car, sprinting out across the sand. Before she collapsed.

He tears were barely able to be heard over the helicopter's propellers.


End file.
